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This work investigates the autonomous adaptive capacity of populations in flood-prone areas in the city of Belem (state of Para) in the Amazon region of Brazil. Autonomous adaptive measures are behaviors that the population adopts without explicit planning or the assistance of either institutions, professionals, or both, all of which are focused on protecting themselves from risks. This research focuses near the part of superficial drainage channels, which is divided into five areas. Visits to the study area and interviews with residents allowed to identify urban typologies and autonomous adaptive constructive techniques, as well as the relationship between these forms of adaptation and the socioeconomic conditions of the population. The main results are associated with the main motivations, information and knowledge that support flood adaptation strategies and the consequences of their success or failure in Amazonian cities. Some of them indicates that autonomous flood adaptation measures were not provided with professional technical assistance or externally financed; the measures are associated with structural modifications (e.g., raise the level of the properties and improve the building) and non-structural modifications (e.g., shims). Some of the conclusions are associated with sources of information; community recognition of flood adaptation methods; motivation to the measures implemented autonomously; consequence to the urban planning and people internal migration, and the difficulties to identify and characterize an adaptation measure as proactive or reactive in recurrent flood cycles in Amazonian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease has become a public health crisis globally due to its increasing incidence. The purpose of this study was to establish an early warning model using artificial neural network (ANN) for early diagnosis of AD and to explore early sensitive markers for AD. Methods A population based nested case-control study design was used. 89 new AD cases with good compliance who were willing to provide urine and blood specimen were selected from the cohort of 2482 community-dwelling elderly aged 60 years and over from 2013 to 2016. For each case, two controls living nearby were identified. Biomarkers for AD in urine and blood, neuropsychological functions and epidemiological parameters were included to analyze potential risk factors of AD. Compared with logistic regression, k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) and support vector machine (SVM) model, back-propagation neural network of three-layer topology structures was applied to develop the early warning model. The performance of all models were measured by sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive prognostic value (PPV), negative prognostic value (NPV), the area under curve (AUC), and were validated using bootstrap resampling. Results The average age of AD group was about 5 years older than the non-AD controls (P

Purpose - Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) allow a second chance to prevent unwanted pregnancy in unplanned sexual intercourse. Therefore, it helps reduce the rate of induced or unsafe abortions. Although they are available over-the-counter in Myanmar, relevant information remains improperly known by women and its use is limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify the prevalence and associated factors of ECPs use among women of reproductive age in the delta region of Myanmar. Design/methodology/approach - This community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pathein Township, Ayeyarwady Division, Myanmar from March 30 to April 29, 2018. This study was conducted among 238 respondents selected using multistage sampling and face-to-face interviews employed structured questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the associations among variables. Findings - The prevalence of ECPs use among reproductive aged women was 11.3 percent. Factors significantly associated with ECPs use were high monthly family income (AOR=4.50, 95% CI=1.31–15.48), condom use (AOR=4.40, 95% CI=1.07–18.16) and never having experienced pregnancy (AOR=6.20, 95% CI=2.06–18.67). Originality/value - To improve the use of ECPs, extension of services such as opening hours or working days is needed. The government and NGOs should implement the services to support women who have encountered unplanned sexual intercourse so that unwanted pregnancy can be prevented.

Introduction/Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected mobility and mortality entire age, especially older adults. The COVID-19 preventive behaviors among older adults during the pandemic should be determined. To our knowledge, little is known about the preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults living in urban areas in Thailand and the factors predicted to their behavior. Hence, the present study aimed to assess COVID-19 preventive behaviors among older adults and to identify the associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 421 participants aged ≥60 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: We found that 321 (72.6%) of the participants had good COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Moreover, 83.4% of the participants had good family support and 58.2% had easy access to health information. Only sufficient income (odds ratio [OR]: 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-2.97), easy access to health services (OR: 3.66, 95% CI: 1.42-9.45) and protective material (OR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.14-3.45), and good family support (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.10-3.82) were associated with good COVID-19 preventive behaviors. In contrast, health literacy, access to health information, and neighbor and health personnel support were not associated with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Conclusion: Based on the present results, interdisciplinary healthcare teams should consider social support, and access to healthcare when developing interventions for encouraging and promoting health outcomes in order to improve physical and psychological COVID-19 preventive behaviors, particularly among elderly people living in urban communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to determine receptivity for advancing the Learning Healthcare System (LHS) model to a novel evidence-based health care delivery framework—Learning Health Care Community (LHCC)—in Baltimore, as a model for a national initiative. Using community-based participatory, qualitative approach, we conducted 16 in-depth interviews and 15 focus groups with 94 participants. Two independent coders thematically analyzed the transcripts. Participants included community members (38%), health care professionals (29%), patients (26%), and other stakeholders (7%). The majority considered LHCC to be a viable model for improving the health care experience, outlining certain parameters for success such as the inclusion of home visits, presentation of research evidence, and incorporation of social determinants and patients' input. Lessons learned and challenges discussed by participants can help health systems and communities explore the LHCC aspiration to align health care delivery with an engaged, empowered, and informed community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the communicative practices of citizens, carried out in the public space of Minsk and transforming the urban environment by working with small architectural forms and contributing to both the creative self-realization of local residents and the formation of local urban communities. Through the narrative and intertext analysis, communication strategies such as palimpsest and intertext are identified as contributing to self-organization, identification, nominalization, symbolization and mobilization of these communities. Based on the material of announcements, leaflets, posters and alternative press (in the format of telegram channels and printed materials), the role of communicative design tools as a means of marking the territory and interacting with various social actors is shown. The use of these technologies contributes to the actualization of ideas about the historical past of urban places (such as the military town of Masyukovshchina in Minsk) in the memory of local residents, informing, enlightening and mobilizing them to form their local identity within the framework of narratives of memory and protest as an unofficial historical policy pursued by the civil activists regardless of the position and actions of the city authorities. The analysis of these cases and situations reveals the peculiarities of the implementation of the historical "policy of me mory" and the preservation of the historical heritage of the Great Patriotic War in the public space of Minsk, indicating the possibilities of more or less active public participation in resolving conflicts and interfering with the situation at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The journal "Urban Social Work" is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Howard University School of Social Work. The journal focuses on strength-based perspectives, equity-based policy and practice, and social justice initiatives in urban communities. The current issue features original research articles on topics such as the impact of residential relocations on low-income families, the emotional responses of language interpreters, the role of housing stability in recovery and recidivism reduction, and the effect of public housing on a sense of community. The editors wish readers a peaceful holiday season and look forward to expanding knowledge in partnership with urban individuals, families, and communities. [Extracted from the article]

In our third piece, I A Digital Ethnography of Teach for America: Analysis of Counternarrative from the Truth for America Podcast i , [9] provide the first digital ethnography in education policy - conducting a qualitative analysis through digital ethnography of the education policy podcast, Truth for America. Keywords: public policy; web-based platforms; urban communities EN public policy web-based platforms urban communities 547 551 5 03/08/21 20210401 NES 210401 The focus on previously silenced voices within urban communities is a theme of this collection of manuscripts. [Extracted from the article]

The contribution offers a new perspective on the topic of narratives, settling links between the city, cognitive theories and the history of Architecture. As it has been neglected from a historical perspective, the power of narratives in architecture is being investigated at its most intimate roots. The paper succeeds in this work by drawing on the theories of cognitive and semiotic psychology, shedding light on architecture through its users. The individual in society, its construction, and most intimate contamination are intrinsically linked to the milieu of his/her own communities, in a continuous interaction between actions and habits, between phenomena and consolidated, stored narratives. A new space for architecture emerges. A space that not only supports as a shelter but also influences these habits, actively participating in the urban storytelling training process. Thus, as part of a whole, the architect finds his own place in contemporary cultural narratives, abandoning the deterministic idea of a ‘creator’ capable of harnessing and synthesizing the city by parameters. The search for the join between language and architecture is then investigated in selected episodes of architecture history, highlighting the presence of this relationship that has been disregarded by modernity. Author’s conclusions claim a return of the language as the cultural territory on which settling new implications of architecture. Beyond its ethical dimension, beyond the sole expressive capacity of its forms, architecture can become contemporary as it rediscovers the power of its language.

Green Infrastructure (GI) facilities have the capacity to enhance health and mitigate Environmental Sustainability Challenges (ESC). However, the extent of the mitigation and health benefits is unclear in developing countries. This study examined the impact of GI on ESC and Perceived Health (PH) of urban residents in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 1858 residents of Lagos Metropolis who completed semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to explore data distributions and assess the association of the availability of GI with resident’s PH and ESC. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (OR;95%CI) were estimated for good health and ESC mitigation. Participants were mostly men (58.9%) and younger than 50 years old (86.3%). Good health (20.5%) and high mitigation of ESC (collection and disposal of waste-52.7% and official development assistance-63.9%) were reported where GI is mostly available. Participants were more likely to report good health (OR:1.40; 95%CI:1.02-1.92) and high mitigation of ESC [water quality (OR:1.42; 95%CI:1.12-1.81) passenger transport mode (OR:1.41; 95%CI:1.06-1.89)] where GI are mostly available. Availability of Green infrastructure is supporting health and mitigating environmental sustainability challenges in the study area. Green infrastructure should be provided in urban areas where environmental sustainability is under threat.

Abstract Background While the demand for health services keep escalating at the grass roots or rural areas of China, a substantial portion of healthcare resources remain stagnant in the more developed cities and this has entrenched health inequity in many parts of China. At its conception, China’s Deepen Medical Reform started in 2012 was intended to flush out possible disparities and promote a more equitable and efficient distribution of healthcare resources. Nearly half a decade of this reform, there are uncertainties as to whether the attainment of the objectives of the reform is in sight. Methods Using a hybrid of panel data analysis and an augmented data envelopment analysis (DEA), we model human resources, material, finance to determine their technical and scale efficiency to comprehensively evaluate the transverse and longitudinal allocation efficiency of community health resources in Jiangsu Province. Results We observed that the Deepen Medical Reform in China has led to an increase concern to ensure efficient allocation of community health resources by health policy makers in the province. This has led to greater efficiency in health resource allocation in Jiangsu in general but serious regional or municipal disparities still exist. Using the DEA model, we note that the output from the Community Health Centers does not commensurate with the substantial resources (human resources, materials, and financial) invested in them. We further observe that the case is worst in less-developed Northern parts of Jiangsu Province. Conclusions The government of Jiangsu Province could improve the efficiency of health resource allocation by improving the community health service system, rationalizing the allocation of health personnel, optimizing the allocation of material resources, and enhancing the level of health of financial resource allocation.

From the perspective of "general health", the "integration of sports anti medicine" is the booster of the construction of "healthy China". It is an important measure to implement the "healthy China 2030" planning outline to carry out the health promotion service of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities in China. By combing the summary of urban communities in China and the current situation of the construction of health promotion system of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities in China, the health promotion service system of "integration of sports and medicine" in China's community from the perspective of "general health" is constructed. The health promotion service system of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities in China is constructed from the following three dimensions: innovating the operation mechanism of health promotion service system of "sports medicine integration" in urban communities of China, building the health promotion service platform of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities of China, and improving the talent system of health promotion service of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities of China. It is expected to be beneficial to the construction of "integration of sports and medicine" in urban communities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bitácora Urbano/Territorial is the property of Bitacora Urbano/Territorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Through the voices of racially ethnically marginalized adolescents (N = 85), the present study highlights the ways in which youth access drugs and alcohol within their immediate environmental contexts, while simultaneously underscoring youth's sense of individualism in abstaining from substance use—both a cause and consequence of their socioecological circumstances. Methods: The current study was part of a larger Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant initiative that focused on preventing the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among urban adolescents through environmental-community based strategies. A sample of 85 youth were recruited from existing summer programs throughout the target city. Youth participants were engaged in 11 focus groups that were guided by five semi-structured interview questions. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings: Findings illustrated three overarching themes: (1) "People Get Ahold of Drugs": Numerous Environmental Access Points; (2) "The Cops Won't Do Anything": The Limits of Perceived Support; and (3) "You Gotta Be Strong Minded": The Embrace and Reality of Individualism. Through these themes, youth described the accessibility of drugs and alcohol in their community, while simultaneously juxtaposing these narratives with discussions of strategies in abstaining from substances. Data suggested that youth were exposed to numerous access points to substances and described minimal social support to abstain from drugs and alcohol. Youth embraced a narrative of individualism and viewed themselves as solely responsible for staying away from substances. Conclusion: Findings provide useful insights for mental health and social work practice and are discussed within the context of neoliberal policies that limit access to resources and place the blame of substance use on the individual. Recommendations emphasize the significance of enhancing youth's community connection and the perception that others, such as social workers and other adult allies, are also interested in their success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the experiences of urban youth of color, as well as perceptions, of feeling disconnected and having an overall negative sense of community (SOC). Drawing on data from 11 focus groups, youth (N = 59) describe their communities and lived experiences. We document several themes put forward through the lens of SOC and community connection that highlight perceived lack of membership, needs fulfillment, influence, and overall emotional connection to their community. Unpacking youth's perceptions of their community, we suggest that—in the face of such realities—community‐based organizations, such as those the youth find themselves in, aid in creating connectedness and help heal youth from the effects of social conditions experienced daily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer victimization is experienced by an alarming number of youth. A variety of coping strategies may be used by youth to avoid the risk of peer victimization, including behaviors such as avoidance, displaying a tough demeanor, defensive behaviors, establishing a reputation, and forming affiliations with family and community members. However, little research has examined how these coping strategies are simultaneously associated with peer victimization experiences. Objective: The present study explored how these five coping strategies were associated with peer victimization among African American youth living in low-income urban communities, a group of youth at risk for high levels of exposure to violence and victimization. It was hypothesized that more use of these strategies would be associated with less peer victimization. Method: The study comprised of 534 African American youth from low-income communities located in Chicago's Southside. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify which coping strategies, when assessed simultaneously, were associated with a lower risk of peer victimization. Results: Results indicated that defensive behavior was negatively associated with peer victimization. Higher levels of tough demeanor and affiliation with family and community members were associated with higher levels of peer victimization. Coping strategies of avoidance and establishing a reputation were not significantly associated with peer victimization. Conclusion: Peer affiliation does not always contribute to positive outcomes, particularly among adolescents in urban areas. A further examination of the coping strategies and socialization processes of urban African American youth in low-resourced communities is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring access to safe drinking water is a challenge in many parts of the world for reasons including, but not limited to, infrastructure age, source water impairment, limited community finances and limitations in Federal water protections. Water quality crises and the prevalence of impaired waters globally highlight the need for investment in the expansion of drinking water testing that includes public and private water systems, as well as community outreach. We provide justification including a case example to argue the merits of developing drinking water testing and community outreach programs that include drinking water testing and non-formal education (i.e., public outreach) regarding the importance of drinking water quality testing for human well-being and security. Organizers of drinking water testing programs should: (1) test drinking water quality; (2) develop drinking water quality databases; (3) increase public awareness of drinking water issues; (4) build platforms for improved community outreach; and (5) publish program results that illustrate successful program models that are spatially and temporally transferrable. We anticipate that short-term and intermediate outcomes of this strategy would improve access to drinking water testing, facilitate greater understanding of water quality and increase security through inclusive and equitable water quality testing and outreach programs.

Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memetakan bencana banjir serta menganalisis kerentanan fisik dan sosial ekonomi masyarakat perkotaan terhadap bencana banjir di Kelurahan Legok, Kecamatan Telanipura, Kota Jambi. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kuantitatif. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini terdiri atas data primer dan data sekunder. Data primer merupakan data yang diperoleh melalui observasi lapangan dan wawancara terstruktur dengan panduan kuesioner, sedangkan data sekunder merupakan data yang diperoleh dari dokumen-dokumen melalui instansi terkait yang berkompeten. Wawancara dilakukan terhadap 90 rumah tangga yang diambil dengan metode simple random sampling dari 476 populasi. Pengolahan dan analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif kuantitatif dan dilengkapi dengan analisis spasial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa berdasarkan hasil interpolasi kedalaman banjir tahun 2004 dapat diketahui bahwa sebagian besar wilayah penelitian terkena dampak banjir dengan kedalaman maksimum mencapai 3 meter di bagian timur wilayah penelitian. Fenomena ini disebabkan oleh beberapa faktor seperti kondisi topografi yang lebih rendah dibandingkan wilayah lainnya, terjadi penyempitan sungai dan kotornya saluran sungai sehingga menghambat air yang mengalir ke outlet utama. Penelitian ini juga menemukan bahwa tingkat kerentanan fisik tinggi ditemukan sebanyak 35 bangunan, kerentanan fisik sedang sebanyak 46 bangunan, dan kerentanan rendah sebanyak 9 bangunan. Tingkat kerentanan sedang hingga tinggi mendominasi wilayah penelitian karena jenis bangunan berupa bangunan non tembok. Temuan penelitian yang lain adalah kerentanan sosial ekonomi lebih tinggi ditemukan pada elemen tingkat pendidikan dengan sebagian besar tingkat berpendidikan rendah yaitu sekolah dasar (SD) (44,4%) dan elemen penduduk rentan karena usia lanjut dan anak-anak sebanyak 30,4%. Abstract. This research aimed to map flood hazard as well as to analyze the physical and socioeconomic vulnerability of the urban community to floods in Legok Sub-district, Telanipura District, Jambi City. It employed a quantitative descriptive method and used both primary and secondary data. The primary data were obtained from field observation and questionnaire-assisted structured interview, while the secondary data were acquired from documents published by relevant competent institutions. The interviews involved 90 households that were selected with simple random sampling from 476 population. Data processing and analysis were performed in a quantitative descriptive manner and complemented with spatial analysis. Based on the interpolation of flood depth in 2004, most of the research area was affected by floods with a maximum depth of 3 m in the east. Such impact was caused by several factors like lower topographic condition, river narrowing, as well as dirty and clogged tributaries that inhibited water flow to the main outlet. This research also found high, medium, and low physical vulnerability in 35, 46, and 9 buildings, respectively. The medium and high physical vulnerabilities were identified in most of the research area due to the predominance of non-walled buildings. Another research finding was a higher socioeconomic vulnerability among the low-educated people (i.e., elementary school, 44.4%) and vulnerable groups (i.e., elderly and children, 30.4%).

Abstract Background While the demand for the health service keeps escalating at the grass root or rural areas of China, a substantial portion of healthcare resources remains stagnant in the more developed cities and this has entrenched health inequity in many parts of China. At its conception, the Deepening Health Care Reform in 2012 China was intended to flush out these discrepancies and promote a more equitable and efficient distribution of health resources. Nearly half a decade of this reform, there are uncertainties as to whether the attainment of the objectives of the reform is in sight. Methods We divided Jiangsu Province into 3 zones according to the level of economic and social development i.e. developed, developing, and undeveloped areas. Using a hybrid of Panel data analysis and an augmented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we model human resources, capital inputs of Community Health Centers to comprehensively determine the technical and scale efficiency of community health resources in 3 zones in Jiangsu Province. Results We sampled data and analysed efficiency and productivity growth of 75 Community Health Centers in 13 cities of Jiangsu Province from 2011 to 2015, which shows that a significant productive growth among Community Health Centers between 2011 and 2015. Mirroring the behavior of Community Health Centers, technological progress was the underlying force for the growth and the deterioration in efficiency change was found. This can be credited partly to the Deepening Health Care Reform measures aimed at improving technology availability in health centers in sub-urban areas. The regional summary of the DEA result shows that the stage of economic development and the efficiency performance of hospital did not necessarily go hand in hand among the 3 zones of Jiangsu. Conclusions The government of China in general and Jiangsu province in particular could improve the efficiency of health resources allocation by improving the community health service system, rationalizing the allocation of health personnel, optimizing the allocation of material resources and enhancing the level of health of financial resources allocation.

This article aims to assess the links between urban resilience and resource efficiency challenges observed in the fast urbanisation contexts of Southeast Asian cities, taking Bandung (Indonesia), Iskandar Malaysia (Malaysia), Cebu (the Philippines), Bangkok (Thailand) and Hai Phong (Vietnam) as case studies. By showing that inefficient use of resources in the land use, water, energy and solid waste sectors is a critical factor of low urban resilience to natural disasters, this article makes a stronger case for the adoption of place-based policy frameworks such as urban green growth that can mobilise at the local-level synergies between resource efficiency and resilience across the aforementioned sectors. Finally, the article demonstrates that national government leadership and the mobilisation of urban communities are two potential strategic levers which can enable Southeast Asian cities to develop such vision and ensure its implementation.

The destructive impact of land degradation on social and economic endeavours of the residents of certain urban areas of Abeokuta communities in Ogun State, Nigeria calls for remedial actions to restoring the affected land areas. This becomes essential in order to ensure safe inhabitation and enhanced socioeconomic engagements of the residents. Taken remedial actions in this regard included the use of sandbags, debris and wood logs, rubbles and stones, construction of contours and drainages. While each of these actions, in one way or the other, effectively improves the degraded land, it was concluded that the use of rubbles and stones, and drainage construction were sustainably durable for land restoration on the premise that these actions does not allow for water logging or flooding in of the study area. It was however recommended that these sustainable remedial actions should rather be pro-actively taken for prevention of land degradation than being taken as degraded land restoration actions basically because it is much cheaper to prevent environmental degradation than to have the degraded land restored.

With the development of information technology, designing urban experience faces an unprecedented challenge: the combination of cyber information and physical facilities. Cyber-Physical Social System (CPSS) forms the connection between virtual and physical objects, public and private, activeness and passiveness, leading an innovative way to explore human-centred design practice in the context of city and community. The challenges faced by urban communities and extend the design practice of SPSS in combination with public participation community design and Living Lab method. Through three practical cases and related evaluation feedbacks, this study presents a Cyber-Physical Public Design (CPPD) model of a human city. The CPPD model is constructed based on CPSS with the human-centred concept. By combining physical touch points with virtual information world, it is possible to collect data on residents’ lives and improve the city's public facilities and space design, rebuild the urban communities to better meet the needs of the public.

What do public libraries and communities classified as food deserts have in common? This paper will share how the Cleveland Public Library addressed food security issues in Cleveland, Ohio, through collaboration with local organizations such as The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension in Cuyahoga County and the Cuyahoga County Land Bank (CCLB). Public Libraries are changing the way they serve patrons in disadvantaged communities. Librarians are beginning to share concerns about health issues of their communities. The author provides a step-by-step approach to beginning a community garden at your local public library or community property. The program will benefit groups of all ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has resulted in the loss of natural habitat for many bat species, often placing bats in close proximity to humans. Bats are generally perceived as agricultural and medical pests, despite providing ecosystem services including seed dispersal and pollination. Understanding public perceptions and knowledge of bats as well as responses to bats is necessary for developing suitable educational programs to support bat conservation. Here we examined the urban communities' knowledge of bats and how they perceive and respond to bats in Peninsular Malaysia. A questionnaire survey of 340 respondents revealed that women generally had better knowledge of bats compared with men. Respondents with tertiary education and knowledge of the ecological roles of bats tended to support the conservation of bats. In addition, there was low demand for bat meat in this region. Family-based educational programs could help to improve the perception of bats among women and increase knowledge of bats among men. Educational programs highlighting the biology and ecology of bats should be conducted at primary and secondary schools to raise awareness of bats among children who could share this knowledge of bats with their family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adequate nutrition is needed by preschool-aged children to allow for growth and development optimally. Eating behavior during the preschool years also shapes lifelong dietary preferences. This study aimed to describe the pre-schooler eating behavior in urban communities. Method: The design used was descriptive with a cross-sectional approach. The population consisted of mothers and preschool-aged children (aged 3-5 years) in Gresik Regency (an urban area in East Java). The sample size was 90 respondents, taken using a simple random sampling technique. Preschool eating behavior is defined by energy adequacy level and dietary diversity. The data was collected using food recall over 24 hours and this was described using frequency and percentage distribution. Results and Analysis: The results showed that most pre-schoolers had a good energy adequacy level (64.4%). The most significant contributors to energy were carbohydrates, protein and fat. Most pre-schoolers have good dietary diversity (75.6%). Most of their food composition consisted of rice, animal and plant protein and milk. Vegetables and fruits were rarely consumed. Discussion: It can thus be concluded that the pre-schooler’s eating behavior in urban communities was good. Further research can use these findings to develop an intervention to enhance the healthy eating behavior of pre-school children in urban communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal Architecture & Planning is the property of King Saud University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the process of a community–academic partnership to navigate implementation challenges for a school‐based service model led by paraprofessionals to promote positive parenting in high poverty urban communities. We describe the process by which we (a) identified implementation challenges, (b) sustained a university–community collaboration to redesign the paraprofessional service model, and (c) assessed the feasibility of the new model involving four social service agencies in 16 schools with over 600 families. The structure and process of the collaboration and refinement are described with attention to who was best positioned to engage in the collaboration and how the partnership worked to balance scientific rigor with responsiveness to paraprofessional workforce strengths. Feasibility data indicated that the revised model was successfully implemented by paraprofessional staff; 92.2% of possible staff monthly reports were completed and discussion of key goals was incorporated into 94.2% of interactions. Continual monitoring provided critical feedback from stakeholders as we drew on and interpreted these various sources of information to build and refine the service model. We suggest that these processes are critical steps to bridge the research‐to‐practice gap, by promoting practices that are aligned with the needs of children and families, and the staff who serve them. Highlights: Partners engaged in an intentional process of relationship building to build a strong sense of trust.Engaging staff who bridged organizational and practice contexts was key for intervention development.Identifying, and building on, the strengths of the paraprofessional workforce was a primary focus.Ensuring all stakeholders provided input into the development of the service model was vital.Creating mechanisms for communication across multiple levels of the organization was critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research conducted in 5 Russian local communities in 2011–2015 discovered asymmetric principal-agent relations between regional and municipal authorities in which regional authorities have all the necessary resources for effective control over the urban elites and interference in the local political process. However, despite the increasing centralization, the regional-local government relationships remain variable. The active presence or absence of the governor and his team in urban politics largely depends on personal relations between the heads of regional and municipal administrations, the resource base of the territory, the severity of conflicts and/or problems that threaten its stable development. Spectrum of relations between the regional and local elites varies from quite constructive and relatively conflict-free, to rather tense and open confrontation, while the interference of the regional authorities in the activities of the local government bodies differs from episodic to permanent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local Chinese governments have been experimenting with a form of top-down "co-production" under different names and for various purposes. This paper examines practices in four Chinese cities to understand the process by which this co-production is introduced, its implementation and its outcomes. We found that in these cities, co-production is imposed on urban communities by the higher authorities, with the state playing very active roles in initiating, financing and facilitating the process. Despite the much-improved community environment, communities are not participating to the extent that the state would like. Nonetheless, we argue that this top-down approach has its merits. It may be an efficient way to ignite the co-production process and to some extent sustain it. When these practices are embedded in an authoritarian hierarchy, however, local officials involved are unavoidably evaluated by two separate performance assessment systems, the hierarchical and the horizontal, which so far have not been compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]